Student Guide to Academic Integrity at WPI

Student Guide to Academic Integrity at WPI

Student Guide to Academic Integrity at WPI

Student Guide to
Academic Integrity
at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Student Guide to
Academic Integrity
at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
A Message from the Dean of Students Office
The Dean of Students Office has developed the Student Guide to Academic Integrity at WPI to articulate to students the high value WPI places on academic integrity. The guide is intended to assist the community in understanding the subject of academic honesty and to orient students to WPI's specific policies and procedures. It also provides hints about how to avoid becoming involved in a case of academic dishonesty. Topics covered: � WPI Aspirations for Academic Integrity � What Constitutes Academic Dishonesty at WPI � A Look at Academic Honesty at WPI � Responsibilities of Students � What If I Am Accused of Academic Dishonesty? � Academic Dishonesty Flow Chart � Facts and Myths about Academic Dishonesty at WPI � Hints to Avoid Committing an Act of Academic Dishonesty The Dean of Students Office welcomes comments and suggestions from students on ways to enhance this guide. Email us at
dean-of-students@wpi.edu.
For more informaton about Academic Integrity, please consult the Academic Honesty website, www.wpi.edu/offices/policies/honesty.html.
WPI Aspirations for Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a fundamental principle of learning and a necessary foundation for all academic institutions, particularly those dedicated to independent project-based education, such as WPI. Violations of the principle deny the violators an opportunity to obtain confident command of the material they are credited with knowing, cheat their classmates out of deserved rewards and recognition, debase the institution, and demean the degree that it awards. It is, therefore, a matter of great and mutual concern to all members of the WPI community that a concerted effort be made to maintain high standards of integrity, both to protect the value of the educational process in which we are engaged and to maintain the credibility of the institution.
What Constitutes Academic Dishonesty at WPI
Individual integrity is vital to the academic environment because education involves the search for and acquisition of knowledge and understanding, which are, in themselves, intangible. Evaluation of each student's level of knowledge and understanding is an essential part of the teaching process, and requires tangible measures such as reports, examinations, and homework. Any act that interferes with the process of evaluation by misrepresentation of the relation between the work being evaluated (or the resulting evaluation) and the student's actual state of knowledge is an act of academic dishonesty. The following acts constitute academic dishonesty at WPI:
Fabrication (examples)
� Altering grades or other official records � Changing exam solutions after the fact � Inventing or changing laboratory data � Falsifying research � Inventing sources � Sabotaging another student's work or academic record
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Plagiarism (examples)
� Misrepresenting the work of another as one's own � Inaccurately or inadequately citing sources, including those from the Internet
Cheating (examples)
� Using purchased term papers � Copying exams, homework, or take-home exams � Using unauthorized materials or sources of information (e.g., cheat sheet, preprogrammed calculator) � Assisting another person in cases where prohibited
Facilitation (examples)
� Sharing test questions or answers from an exam with another student � Letting another student copy a solution to a homework problem, exam, or lab � Taking an exam for another student � Assisting in any act of academic dishonesty of another student
A Look at Academic Honesty at WPI
WPI has collected data about attitudes and practices associated with academic dishonesty at the undergraduate level at the university. The following is a sampling of data from the most recent survey of both faculty and students.
Report of Undergraduate Students
One third of the students and over half of the faculty reported that academic dishonesty is a problem at WPI. One third of the faculty reported that they had encountered a case of academic dishonesty in one of their classes. More than half of the students saw another student cheat during an exam. Over 80% of the faculty considered it dishonest to obtain an exam question from a student who had already taken the exam. According to faculty who witnessed cheating, the most common forms were:
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I f y o u h a v e a n y q u e s t i o n s a b o u t W P I 's A c a d e m i c H o n e s t y P o l i c y, c a l l t h e D e a n o f S t u d e n t s O f f i c e , x 5 2 0 1 .
� Working on assignments in groups when prohibited to do so � Copying assignments, homework, or computer programs from another student � Plagiarizing or not citing sources properly.
Responsibilities of Students
Students should make sure that they are familiar with WPI's Academic Honesty Policy, which is articulated in the WPI Student Planner and Resource Guide. In addition to the institutional policy, individual faculty members may have more specific guidelines for their classes. Students should find out from each faculty member what their policies are concerning evaluation procedures and their expectations pertaining to academic integrity at the beginning of each course. These policies may be outlined in the course syllabus, posted on the Web, or discussed in one of the first classes of the term. However, many faculty members may not highlight their specific policies in any of these ways, and may only utilize the campus policy. Because of the differences in disciplines and the type of work involved, faculty interpretation regarding what constitutes academic honesty may vary across campus. Since project-based education places a strong emphasis on group work, students should be particularly attentive to their professors' distinction between group work and individual performance expectations. If a student is in doubt about what is expected of him/her or how he/she will be evaluated, it is always better to seek clarification from his/her instructor rather than run the risk of violating the academic honesty policy.
What If I Am Accused of Academic Dishonesty?
The WPI faculty and administration have developed a set of procedures designed to ensure uniform (and fair) treatment of undergraduate or graduate students suspected of academic dishonesty. 1. When a faculty member suspects that a student has committed an act of academic dishonesty, he/she will investigate the situation and consult with his/her department chair. The chair or instructor will check with the Office of the Dean of Students to determine if the student has any record of prior offenses involving academic dishonesty.
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2. The faculty member will consult with the student involved regarding the alleged act of academic dishonesty. If after discussing the situation with the student, the faculty member feels that there is not sufficient evidence to substantiate the allegation, the case will be dropped and not pursued any further. 3. If the student admits responsibility for the act of academic dishonesty and it is the first violation of that nature, the complaint may be resolved within the department. As part of this resolution, there will be a penalty assigned by the instructor or department chair. The maximum penalty that can be applied at the department level is dismissal from a course or a project without credit. In order to resolve the case at the department level, the student must sign a document that indicates that he/she accepts responsibility for the charge as well as the sanction assigned by the faculty member. The faculty member also signs the document, which is sent to the Dean of Students Office and to the student's Academic Advisor. Students are not required to resolve the case at the department level, and should not feel intimidated or pressured to do so. 4. Students and/or faculty may request that a case be heard by the Campus Hearing Board in lieu of a departmental agreement. This option may be used when a student does not accept responsibility for the charge or does accept responsibility but feels that the sanction offered by the faculty member is too severe. In cases involving repeat violations of the academic honesty policy, the case is automatically forwarded to the Campus Hearing Board for resolution. 5. The Campus Hearing Board will hear the allegations following standard procedures for disciplinary hearings established by WPI. The Board may impose normal disciplinary sanctions and may recommend loss of any credit or grade for the course or project. If a student is found not responsible on a complaint of academic dishonesty, he/she may not be failed or penalized by the instructor on the grounds of dishonesty. The instructor must assign a grade based on his/her assessment of the student's mastery of the material being evaluated. Faculty must allow the student to continue in the course without prejudice, pending resolution of the case.
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P Professor suspects student of academic dishonesty P Professor confers with Department Head P Checks with Dean of Students for previous record
Previous record CAMPUS HEARING BOARD Student found responsible Decision and sanction letter sent optional Student does not admit Meet with student Student admits and accepts sanctions Student signs letter Copy of letter sent to Dean of Students CASE CLOSED Student does not appeal CASE CLOSED PRESIDENTIAL APPEALS BOARD Student appeals N
Student found not responsible CASE CLOSED
Appeal denied, decision upheld CASE CLOSED
Appeal accepted
Sanction modified CASE CLOSED
Case remanded to CHB for re-hearing
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6. Judicial records are maintained by the Dean of Students Office, and are kept separate from a student's academic records. It is the policy of WPI that judicial records shall be reportable by the Dean of Students Office for a period of two years from the date of graduation, transfer or withdrawal from WPI, except when the sanction includes suspension or expulsion. In cases involving suspension or expulsion from WPI, disciplinary records shall be kept in perpetuity. Records for cases that are pending completion of the hearing and/or sanction shall be kept in perpetuity. Records will be available to prospective employers and other authorized individuals in accordance with applicable state and federal law and regulations. Judicial records may be shared both internally (e.g., IGSD, honor societies) and externally (e.g., transfer applications, prospective employers, law school) in accordance with federal regulations that require written permission from the student involved. In keeping with the WPI Academic Honesty Policy and the Constitution of the WPI Campus Judicial System, a student's judicial record may be shared internally as appropriate without the student's permission to determine if the student has any record of prior offenses involving academic honesty.
Facts, and Myths, at WPI
Myth:
Academic honesty is not given much attention at WPI and students are rarely brought up on academic dishonesty charges.
Fact: WPI takes the academic integrity of its students very seriously, and all cases of academic dishonesty are rigorously adjudicated. Over the past five years, academic dishonesty cases have remained fairly consistent in number. During the 2010�11 academic year, there were 77 academic dishonesty cases initially reported to the Dean of Students Office. Of these, 42 were found responsible. The remaining cases were either dismissed by faculty (33), were found not responsible by the Campus Hearing Board (1), or are pending a hearing (1).
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Myth:
I've been told that I should accept responsibility for cheating and take an NR for the course even though I know I did not cheat because, if I don't, the Campus Hearing Board will impose something far worse.
Fact: While it is true that the Campus Hearing Board can impose more serious sanctions, the WPI Campus Hearing Board is not something to be feared. The Hearing Board was established to protect students' rights and provide them with an opportunity for an unbiased board of their peers to hear the facts of the case and decide whether a violation of WPI's Code of Conduct occurred. Information about the Campus Hearing Board and your rights under the WPI Judicial System is available in the Student Planner and Resource Guide and from the Dean of Students Office. Myth:
All faculty members are in agreement about what level of student collaboration on homework or projects constitutes academic dishonesty.
Fact: Each faculty member establishes his/her own rules and limits regarding collaboration. A student may erroneously assume that what was allowed in one course applies to another course as well. Students should listen carefully to their professors' expectations at the beginning of the course to eliminate incorrect assumptions. Students should ask if they are unsure about the limits on collaboration on group work. Myth:
Unless a faculty member catches me in the act of cheating there is no way to prove that I cheated, so no disciplinary action can be taken against me.
Fact: The standard used in campus judicial hearings is "preponderance of evidence," not "beyond a shadow of doubt." Also, hearsay and circumstantial evidence is considered by the hearing board. An example of circumstantial evidence might be for a faculty member to present to the Board that it would be impossible for two students to do the same work on an assignment without cheating.
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Myth:
My professor can lower my grade or give me an "NR" on an assignment (or an "F' for a graduate student) if he/she suspects that I have committed academic dishonesty.
Fact: Faculty may impose punitive action only if the student has admitted responsibility and agreed to the professor's sanction. The maximum penalty that can be applied at the department level is dismissal from a course or a project without credit. If a student has a past record or the student claims innocence, the case must be referred to the Campus Hearing Board. If the Board finds the student responsible, it can recommend a grade action to the professor. The Campus Hearing Board has a greater range of sanctions, up to and including expulsion from WPI. Myth:
If I admit to academic dishonesty and accept an agreed upon sanction, my professor has the option to retain all records for the case without reporting the case to anyone.
Fact: All cases must be reported in writing to the Dean of Students Office citing the student's name, student ID number, facts of the case, and sanction imposed. The student and faculty member must sign the report before it is sent. This is the only way that the Dean of Students Office can accurately report to another faculty member if a student has a past record and ensure that a student does not have multiple violations in different courses that go unreported. Myth:
My academic dishonesty record will remain confidential and will not be shared with anyone.
Fact: Records will be available to prospective employers and other authorized individuals in accordance with applicable state and federal law and regulations. Judicial records may be shared both internally (e.g., IGSD, honor societies) and externally (e.g., transfer applications, prospective employers, law school) in accordance with federal regulations that require written permission from the student involved. In keeping with the WPI Academic Honesty Policy and the Constitution of the WPI Campus Judicial System, a student's judicial record may be shared internally as 10
appropriate without the student's permission to determine if the student has any record of prior offenses involving academic honesty. Myth:
International students will be deported if they are found responsible of academic dishonesty.
Fact: Academic honesty violations are not reported to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for action against an international student. If a student is in the United States on a visa and is suspended or expelled, the university must report that the student is no longer registered as a full-time student. Unless that student becomes accepted and enrolled as a full-time student at another institution, the ICE may begin the deportation process because the student is no longer "in status." Myth:
A student's judicial record is destroyed or sealed upon graduation or withdrawal from the university.
Fact: Judicial records are maintained by the Dean of Students Office, and are kept separate from a student's academic records. It is the policy of WPI that judicial records shall be reportable by the Dean of Students Office for a period of two years from the date of graduation, transfer or withdrawal from WPI, except when the sanction includes suspension or expulsion. In cases involving suspension or expulsion from WPI, disciplinary records shall be kept in perpetuity. Records for cases that are pending completion of the hearing and/or sanction shall be kept in perpetuity. Myth:
Students found responsible of academic dishonesty are always suspended from the university.
Fact: WPI does not subscribe to an automatic sanction for violation of its Academic Honesty Policy. Rather, each violation is reviewed individually and sanctioning takes into consideration the unique situation surrounding the incident. Having said that, reviewing past precedent, most faculty who adjudicate cases within the department impose either a "0" for the assignment or an "NR" for the course. In cases where the student has a prior record of academic dishonesty, the Campus Hearing Board most often imposes a sanction of suspension or disciplinary probation.
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Hints to Avoid Committing an Act of Academic Dishonesty
Consider implementing the following best practices to minimize or prevent being accused of an act of academic dishonesty: � Make sure that you are aware of each professor's guidelines for Academic Honesty at the beginning of each course. If your professor does not articulate his/her guidelines in the course syllabus or on the first day of class, do not hesitate to ask him/her questions about what specifically constitutes cheating in the course. Do not assume that the guidelines for one professor or one class apply to all your classes. � Pay particular attention to class guidelines about group and project work and when it is appropriate to work in teams. The same holds true for homework or computer programs. If you are confused or unclear, ask your instructor for clarification. � If you are not permitted to work together on assignments, use caution when you are helping a classmate. Do not lend your homework, provide copies of exams or quizzes, or provide assistance when it is specifically prohibited. Some students have tried to help out a friend, only to find themselves accused of facilitating academic dishonesty. � If you are having difficulty with an assignment, homework, or project, don't cheat. Get help from your professor, teaching assistant, or tutor. � When doing research or writing a paper, make sure that you give full and proper credit to your sources, including those from the Internet, and appropriately attribute direct quotes. An excellent resource is a copyright booklet entitled "Campus Copyright Rights and Responsibilities," which is located at www.aau.edu/reports /Rights_and_Responsibilities_2005.pdf. Remember that it is just as easy for your professor to search the web for your sources as it was for you to find them. If you are unsure about proper documentation practices, make an appointment with the Writing Center to educate yourself. Ask your professor about his/her specific requirements for documentation. WPI also has access to RefWorks, an on-line program that helps you create an on-line bibliography and reference tracking system. It helps you keep track of the sources you are using for your research, including the ability to paste in sections of the text of the documents and your own notes about the sources. Go to http://libguides.wpi.edu/refworks.
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� If you are using old copies of tests to study and prepare for an exam, make certain this is allowed by your professor and, if so, do so with caution. Many professors will make subtle changes in exam questions from year to year. � In an exam setting, keep your eyes on your own paper. Guard your own paper during an exam so that it is not easy for someone to copy from you. � Plan ahead. When you procrastinate or leave things until the last minute, feelings of desperation and panic may lead you to consider cheating as a solution to your lack of preparation. Leave yourself enough time to properly prepare assignments and projects, and to study for tests. � If you see a fellow student committing an act of academic dishonesty, do not hesitate to report him/her to the professor.
Published by the WPI Dean of Students Office, with support from the WPI Committee on Advising and Student Life, August 2011